Officerens syn på risktagning i taktiska situationer : En kvalitativ intevjustudie om hur svenska arméofficerare på taktisk nivå ser på risktagning

Officers in the Armed Forces are expected to make decisions in complex and high-risk situations, where risk-taking can be a crucial factor for success in battle. This study aims to increase the understanding of how Swedish Army officers reason about risk at a tactical level. Through qualitative interviews with officers from combat units, this study analyzes how officers assess tactical scenarios involving alternatives with different levels of risk-taking. The results indicate that risk-taking is not seen as an end in itself, but rather as a conscious and necessary decision to accomplish given tasks, where potential gains must be weighed against possible losses. The study also identifies several key factors that affect officers' decisions such as the purpose of the task, the possibility of positive returns, education, experience and trust within the organization. Notably, differences in reasoning were observed between more experienced and less experienced officers. These findings contribute to the field of military science by emphasizing how situational judgement affects officers tactical risk-taking, rather than personality traits.